Frostbite
by Julestober
Summary: Sometimes love isn't like fire, which burns and then suffocates without oxygen. Sometimes it's the opposite, slowly descending upon you, consuming your whole being, bringing with it a mark that can leave you crippled. Slash, AU, minor VK/HP, main SS/HP.
1. Prologue

F R O S T B I T E

By: July and Oktober

Disclaimer: we all know how this goes... we don't own it... you don't own it... If we did this would be canon... and Ginny would have a personality... So don't sue... at least not us... that author above us... totally fair game... especially if they didn't include the obligatory disclaimer... we has no moneys... we be just broked college kids... However we do accept donations:D... in the form of large unmarked bills... or sexual favors... gotta love the Benjamins... mmm BEN!... but yes Hairy Pothead and affiliated others belong to JKRowling and everyone else that has a hand in her pot... yes you heard us... her pot... more statements on the obvious... the answer to every question is 42... the flying spagetti moster has touched us inappropriately with his noodely appendage... the dark side lied, they have no cookies... Severus Sanpe looks cute in bunny ears... and if you're still reading this disclaimer we are truely sorry... Sincerely July and Oktober kthxbai

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><p>Prologue<p>

Hidden behind his white skull mask Severus stood proudly in the middle of Malfoy Manor's Ballroom amongst his fellow Death Eaters. He could hear the distant cries of his eight week old godson ring from the rooms above.

"Yaxley, what do you have to report about your progress at the ministry."

A tall man stepped forward and knelt down before them, "I have assurances from my connections in the Wizengamot that they will support us come time for nominations."

"How solid is their support?"

"They know their interests are being watched over by you, my Lord."

The handsome Dark Lord smiled and nodded, "Very good, very good."

Severus smirked, glanced to the window and then froze. That was certainly unexpected. He attempted to focus his attention back on his Lord who was continuing to question the others about their progress, but the weather outside was completely fascinating. Never in all of his life had he seen such a sheet of white.

"Severus!"

His eyes snapped forward and locked on those of his irate Lord. "What is so beguiling that you do not respond to a direct question?"

He didn't say anything, fearing the repercussions; instead, he fell to his knees in submission and extended one arm straight out, pointing to the window. "Please forgive me, my Lord, but I suspect that there must be strong magic a foot."

Severus refused to move, he just waited. Then to his utter amazement, the Dark Lord began to laugh. It was terrifying. Severus had never heard such a horrifying sound in his life. The demonic laugh rang through to his bones.

"Severus stand; please stand!"

He watched in horror as the man ran to the bay windows and threw them open laughing into the wind as it blew sheets of thick snow into the hall.

Severus looked over to where his best friend was standing and was met with the same confused look that must have been gracing his own face. He took comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone in his confustion.

"Blizzards in July! BLIZZARDS IN JULY! My faithful! Do you know what this means?" The man bent down, grabbed two handfuls of snow, and thrust them into the air. "Tonight, shall go down in history! For tonight an ICE DEMON WAS BORN IN BRITAIN!"

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><p>James let his hand fall away from the curtain that now obscured the window. His son was being born, and he was not going to devastate his wife with the news of the ice storm raging outside. He stared at the covered widow for a few more long moments. It wouldn't be long until his mother showed up, and Lily would have her heart broken. He was not going to let his mother take their only child away; he would teach his son the self-control necessary for keeping his inherited powers under control.<p>

However, for now, while the storm raged outside and the mediwitches and wizards rushed in and out of the delivery room, he could wait, and pretend his life was still normal.

"Think it has something to do with the Dark Lord?" Frank Longbottom stepped up to the window and peered out of it himself.

There was a pause and James blinked. Finally he nodded, "Oh yes. Definitely. It's absolutely something that monster's cooked up." He silently thanked the Gods for fools and friends.

Frank stepped away from the widow and cast a glance at the room his own wife was in, "How long have you been here?"

"Few hours already."

"You think it will be over soon?"

"Not sure. The mediwizards told us the labor can take days."

The two men looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Hope it doesn't take that long," Frank muttered, "Alice will kill me."

"Lily would murder me too. You going in?"

A scream rent the air, the sound of Alice Longbottom cursing Frank to the deepest level of hell imaginable. Frank gulped and sat down, fast. "No. I think I'm going to stay right here. What about you, James?"

"I think I'll stay here with you. Moral support, and all that." James felt a bit green around the gills as his own wife screamed.

They sat there, awkwardly, for a few hours getting up to peek at the horrible storm outside, until one of the witches rushed up to James and gave him a beaming smile. "It's over, you can go in now."

He gave her a proud smile and nodded at Frank, "Good luck," he said simply, before walking into the room that held his exhausted wife, and newborn son.

Lily was reclining on the hospital bed; a bundle of blue blanket wrapped up in her arms, and stared through her disheveled red hair at the new life she'd brought into this world. "Jimmy," she said, looking up at her husband, "Isn't he beautiful? He's perfect."

James walked over to her side and stared down at his son, "Of course he's perfect. He's your son."

"Don't forget, he's yours too." She laughed and stared back down. "Hi Harry. I've been waiting for you. You gave me so much shit, but I love you, yes I I promise you can have all the ice cream and bananas you want." Then she stopped, puzzled, "He's got such blue eyes."

"All babies have blue eyes," James replied a bit uncomfortably.

"Yes but these..." she frowned a little at the sleepy blue eyes of her baby blinking up at her. "His seem unusually blue."

"I'm sure it's nothing. All babies are born with blue eyes. They'll change." He nodded with authority, effectively closing the subject.

"Alright, if you say so, darling." Lily couldn't bring herself to argue the point anyway. What did it matter if they were baby blue, or always blue?

The new parents sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Lily spoke up again, "What was that middle name you wanted?"

"Dimitri," James said softly, "My grandfather's name."

"Harrison Dimitri Potter." Lily's smile grew wider, "welcome to the world.

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><p>The blizzard outside of Hogwarts raged with fury and Albus Dumbledore stared out over the snow-covered grounds and shivered. "It's not very pleasant to hear but I suggest withdrawing from the world and going into hiding as quickly as you can arrange it."<p>

Alice Longbottom reached down and picked up her chubby five-month-old son from the royal blue blanket he had been playing on. "You have no way of knowing which one of them the prophesy is about? There aren't any other clues?"

"If there were my dear I wouldn't be talking to all of you. I'm very sorry. My intelligence has informed me that the Dark Lord has learned of the prophesy and has already begun his search. It is only a matter of time before he discovers Neville and Harry."

Lily bent over and retrieved her smaller son as well. He had happily rolled off his red blanket and was now dangerously close to his father's foot. The boy began to fuss and wriggle in her arms and Lily reluctantly handed him to his father who was arguing with the headmaster.

"So that's it? Sorry folks but you are the Dark Lord's new target. You're on your own. We have dedicated our lives to your cause and you are just going to throw us to the wolves? No, Harry! Lily can you take him?" James desperately did his best to keep a hold of his son who decided that it would be fun to play stomp on Daddy's private area.

"He wants you. There isn't anything I can do"

Not having much choice James stood up and began bouncing his happy son on his hip. "You have to do something!"

Albus looked at him sadly; "I have done all I can. There is nothing left that I can do. I'll oversee the Fidelius Charm but everything else is in your hands. I'm very sorry. I suggest trying to see as many people as possible and to try and go on as normal until you go in to hiding. You are all known members of the order; the Dark Lord will be watching you."

Frank stood up angrily, "I can't believe this! You once told me that you could get us out of the country if it came down to it. What happened to your American connections?"

"I could potentially get one of you out or maybe two but the children are too small to make that kind of floo. I swear I have agonized over this decision and it's the best and only option. Please don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"Frank, please. We should go. This isn't doing any good."

The young father sighed, turned, and looked at James and Lily who were trying to keep their happy, active son amused, "I'm so very sorry."

James smiled sadly and nodded. Both men knew that the best outcome for their families would be the destruction of the others. "May the gods watch over you and your family, my friend."

Frank nodded, "Likewise."

The two women hugged each other showered kisses on the others child. The two girls had been the best of friends since they were eleven and they knew this might likely be the last time they ever saw the other alive.

Albus watched on sadly as the two families left. Once alone, he looked out at the worst storm Hogwarts had seen in a century. "May the gods have mercy on you and may your sons bring a frost that will destroy that devil of a man.

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><p>James embraced his mother at the front door. "It's good to see you again. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances though."<p>

The aged woman stepped around him and into the house after he broke the hug. "If you vould just have invited me over more often ve vouldn't have had dis problem." Her soft blue eyes fell on the stairs, "And dat is vhere Dimitri is, da?"

"Yes, mother. That's where _Harry_ is."

"Dhen take me upstairs to him, my son. You need him out of the country and I hafe a very short time before my train leaves."

James hesitated. "Mother," he began, "Lily is still having some trouble with all of this. She's already so distraught; please don't mention anything about our family."

Her eyes widened in surprise and her frown wrinkles deepened. "I can't believe you haven't told her. She deserves to know the noble heritage of our family, of my grandson! De Gods would not approve of dis."

"I don't give a _damn_ what the Gods think!" James kept his voice low, and tightly controlled, "The Gods can go hang themselves for all I care. I am losing my son for what could be _years_ and until he's safe back in Lily's arms she doesn't need to know anything about us."

Rusalka Moldov stared at her son and then nodded, "Fine. I vill respect your vishes, my son. Now, take me to Dimitri."

James resisted the urge to correct his mother again, and sighed, before leading the way to the nursery where Lily was still trying to pack.

Harry was rolling around on his little blue blanket dressed in a blue romper and chewing on his bare foot when James stepped into the room with Rusalka not far behind. James grinned at his little man and kneeled down, "Hi there, Harry!"

Harry gurgled happily and shoved his foot a little farther in his mouth.

Lily was dashing around the room, grabbing various muggle baby toys, burpies, and clothes and packing them all in a rather large suitcase, before pulling everything out and starting to repack it. Her hair was frazzled and her nerves looked about shot. "Should I put this in here?" she muttered to herself as she held up a tiny baby hat, "No, no. He won't ever wear it." She tossed it to the side and turned around, finally noticing she had company. "Oh! Hello Rusalka! It's nice to finally see you again!"

Rusalka stared at her daughter-in-law and then brushed her aside. "I vill pack."

"I-" Lily stopped, "oh, okay." She turned to James and smiled somewhat stiffly, "I see Harry's managed to pull his socks off again. He finds his feet absolutely fascinating for some reason." She knelt next to her husband and son, gently pulling the foot from Harry's mouth, before she picked him up and cuddled him close to her.

James stood too, enveloping the two most important people in his life in a soft hug.

Lily looked at him with tears streaming down her face and began to plead yet again for him to change him mind, "Please, Jimmy, don't make me send him away."

"Lily…"

She shook her head and began to cry harder, "Please, don't."

"There is no other choice. We have discussed this. This is the absolute safest option. What if _he_ were to find us?"

Lily looked down at her small son and kissed his hair out of a need to get closer to her baby, "we would fight him off. Please James, he's my baby! Please!"

James felt tears sting his eyes and his heart wrench painfully, "You know that there is no other way. Please darling. You must be brave. We will see him again."

He watched a flash of emotions cross his wife's face and he knew that she had read him correctly, fully registering that they mostly likely wouldn't survive this war, but if she was strong she might be able to save her son. He watched her sniff resolutely, bite her lip, and place a kiss on her son's head and then walk over to where James's mother was shrinking Harry's things and placing them in a muggle diaper bag.

"You will be where we discussed?"

Rusalka nodded.

Lily took a deep shuddering breath, turned, and began fastening Harry into the muggle carrier that they had purchased special for this trip.

James led his mother downstairs to give Lily a few more moments with their son.

"Please take care of him."

"You need not ask stupid question. I vill protect him vith my life."

James nodded and looked up at his wife who was carefully descending the stairs all the while watching her son try to free his toes, "No Harry, leave the sock on."

He met her at the bottom of the stairs and bent down to say goodbye, he wanted to say something, anything, but he was at a complete loss. Instead, he just leaned in, kissed his sweet boy for the last time, and held back the tears for his wife.

He watched and she strongly stepped forward, handed off the carrier to his mother, and then covered him in his blue blanket. "He gets cold easily."

Rusalka nodded, "I keep him varm."

With that final farewell, the woman turned and carried her grandson out into the snow and to the cab that was waiting for her.

James watched his wife collapse in on herself and fall to her knees sobs wracking her body and he felt himself break. The tears he had been holding back broke loose and he ran to her side and hugged her, neither caring about the snow that was flying in through the open door.

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><p>Nearly a year later Lily was upstairs in Harry's room, putting tiny neat stitches into a pumpkin costume, hoping that the dark times would pass and she could finally see her baby again. James was sitting in the living room, reading <em>The Three Musketeers<em> and dreaming of reading it to his son one day.

The sound of wood splintering filled the house and James dropped the book and ran for the stairs. "LILY!" he screamed, "THE BASTARD BETRAYED US, RUN!" James turned to cast a spell but is immediately silenced by...

"_Avada kedavra._" Lord Voldemort stared coldly at the body at the bottom of the stairs before gliding his way up to the nursery where Lily was waiting.

Lily stood at the door with her wand raised and tears streaming down her face. "You will not have him, you monster!" and with a single spell, she brought the house crashing in flames around them.

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><p>In the mountain town of Melnik, Bulgaria, Rusalka finished feeding baby Dimitri and tucked him into his crib, cooing at him in her native Russian, before settling down by the fireplace. The boy had grown much in her care, and no longer caused snowstorms when he was upset at being hungry or left alone. "Poor, Dimitri," she murmured quietly. "I can only hope-" she was interrupted by a scratching at the front window. She wrapped her shawl tightly about her shoulders and stared at the golden eagle perched outside.<em> Official Gringott's Post<em>. She opened the window for the creature and took the letter from his ankle, tossing him a bit of stew meat before she opened it and started reading.

**Dear, Mother**

**If you're reading this, then the worst has happened. I'm sorry we could never spend more time together. The estate has been left to Harry, with the Gringotts Goblins in London overseeing it until he comes of age. There is a trust fund set up for any living expenses that he may incur until he has reached his majority. Our wish was for him to go to Hogwarts when he was old enough, but the way things are going we understand if you decide to send him else elsewhere. There is so much I wish to say. Tell Harry that we love him every day and never let him forget we did what we thought was best.**

**Please keep him safe. He is our world, our everything.**

**Love, James**

**P.S. Keep him warm for me. Lily**


	2. Chapter 1

F R O S T B I T E

By: July and Oktober

Disclaimer: So... here we go again. If you think _we_ own this you are sadly mistaken. I own... a few pens and the lint in my bellybutton. July owns less than I do. Together, if you sue us, you'd have to pay US money, we can't even begin to cover Lawyer fees. So yeah. Don't sue. It's not cool. ... Unless you sue someone else and give us the money. That would be so _very_ cool.

Authors' Note: Random Factoid TIME! The Dark Side uses it's force chokes for Erotic Asphyxiation, Chocolate makes babies, It's a trap, Severus_ likes_ sex on his sofa, coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste, and Yes... the Cadbury bunny _does_ lay those eggs.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Severus sat outside of the minister's office waiting patiently for his audience. He had only just arrived back to Britain and all he wanted was to finish with his obligatory check in and go to his government provided new place of residence. He was amazed at the three secretaries that sat busily at work ignoring him. It was so much quieter and more pleasant than his own office had been back in Brazil, Isabella had always insisted on a radio playing in the background, but then again, the women here weren't nearly as attractive as his previous administrative assistant had been.

"Master Snape, the Minister will see you now."

Severus looked up at the assistant that sat closest to the door and muttered a polite, "Thank you." He stood, straightened his black business robes, walked into the office, and without hesitation entered to greet his Lord.

The door closed behind him and Severus allowed his cool demeanor to slip and a small smile to grace his face. "It's odd to say, My Lord, but it is good to see you."

The man laughed, stood up and walked over to him, and enfolded his long time follower in a fond embrace. "Severus you look so... _tan_!"

Severus laughed and nodded, "Brazil can have that effect on one's complexion. I too, have the ability to increase the melanin content of my skin as a result of _obscene_ amounts of sunlight."

"And here I thought you were a vampire," The man laughed again and he motioned to the two wing back chairs next to a table that had a large bottle of scotch and a few tumblers. "Would you like a glass, Severus. It's goblin made."

Severus raised his hand in a polite decline and took the seat across from his lord and master.

"The apartment Janice arranged for you is located in downtown Hogsmead; furnished by none other than Narcissa Malfoy. The building is brand new and is strictly adults only. So you won't have to worry about crying babies and screaming children."

Severus smiled in appreciation, "Thank you, My Lord. I'm looking forward to a break. You mentioned in the letter that I would be given a lab to start back on my research."

"And you shall, but we need to discuss your new position first."

Severus' face fell, "I thought I was just going to focus on my research. At least, that is what we discussed back in December."

Minister Riddle nodded, "It is what we discussed but I have been thinking and I believe that there is a better use for your talents."

"My talents? My Lord with all due respect; I was promised a vacation and that is what I wish to have, not some other position. I have just finished a five-year assignment as a foreign dignitary, a position that I only took as a personal favor to you. I'm sorry, but I really just need time to sit in the dark and brew."

"That is exactly what you will be doing."

Severus raised an eyebrow and waited for the minister to continue.

"You see, I have arranged for you to have a private laboratory at Hogwarts."

"I don't follow."

The man scooted forward in his seat excitedly. "You will have free reign of the potions laboratories of Hogwarts, a never ending supply of ingredients from the grounds green houses, and anything that they don't grow there you can have ordered at the expense of the school."

"And the catch?"

"You'll have to teach N.E.W.T. level potions."

"No. No, absolutely not. This is unacceptable." Severus stood up and walked across the office to look out the window. "You can't make me the Hogwarts potions master. I'm not, never have been, and never will be a teacher."

The Dark Lord smiled in amusement and stood up to follow him, "You wouldn't have full responsibility, you would be the head potions master. I have already talked to the current master and he had agreed to take on the role of assistant professor and oversee all lower level classes and laboratories _and_ he agreed to all of your grading. Your only responsibility is to oversee and run the two N.E.W.T. level lectures and labs. That's all."

"Please, My Lord, can you just allow me to sequester myself off in some lab for the next three years and when I return I promise to have ground breaking work that will change the science of potion brewing as we know it." Severus turned and looked at his lord pleadingly and then caved realizing that there truly was no hope. "Can you at least tell me why? Why me?"

"Because, Severus, you are the best potions master in the world and I'm running this next election on a platform of education reform. You know, the whole, 'The great minds of today shaping the great minds of tomorrow. Vote for me.' That whole bag. I even asked Delores Umbridge to take a position."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better? Last time I saw that terrible toad of a woman she felt me up under the dinner table. I have never quite recovered."

"Her job is strictly administrative. She won't come near you, you have my word."

"Great, the word of a politician." Severus looked at his master and nodded, "alright. Fine. Just the N.E.W.T. levels right?"

"Yes."

"What will my salary be and how long will I be there?"

The Dark Lord turned and walked toward his desk where a contract appeared that had Severus's name scrawled across the top.

"You will be working there for the next five years,"

"FIVE YEARS!"

"Oh it will fly by, you'll hardly notice. And it's not like you won't have vacations."

Severus glared, "And my salary?"

"I've pulled a few strings and so long as you agree to help with the brewing for the infirmary then you'll be the highest paid professor at the school. That's including the headmistress."

"The figure, please."

"Forty thousand."

"I hope that's a month."

"Now, Severus; this is a large salary for an educator."

"I don't care! I'm the one of the finest potions masters in the world, that salary is a joke."

"Considering you won't be paying for room, board, or for your supplies I think it is more than fair."

Severus grumbled and took the contract and looked it over. "You never said that I had to be the Head of Slytherin."

"It's honor; look it as such. The only responsibility that goes with the position is advisement."

"Of the entire Slytherin House. My Lord, please."

"Severus, don't make me fight you on this. I will win. Sign the paper."

Without further protest, he took the proffered quill and signed his name in large spidery script.

"Fantastic. Narcissa has agreed to show you to your new home, which shall remain yours for your duration at Hogwarts. You will only be expected to reside at the school Monday through Thursday night. The weekends are yours."

"Fantastic. At least there is some silver lining. "

The Dark Lord smiled at him and ushered him to the door of his office with a smile. "She said that you can meet her at the manor at your convenience. She will also explain to you your duties for the upcoming Triwizard Tournament and give you the list of my potion requests complete with requested completion dates."

Severus opened his mouth to protest but couldn't.

"Have a nice day Severus and welcome back to Britain."

As the door slammed in his face, Severus fought the urge to give the man the fingers. Biting his tongue, he nodded to the three secretaries before walking to the floo and disappearing with a burst of flames.

When Severus arrived in the main Hall of the Malfoy manor, he was instantly greeted with their more obnoxious house elf.

"Greetings master Snape; Lady Malfoy is being expecting you. Dobby will take you to her. May Dobby take your traveling cloak?"

Severus looked at the dirty creature and declined the offer, "Thank you, but no. I won't be staying long."

"Uncle Severus!"

Severus looked up to the top of the grand staircase and saw his very grown up Godson, "Draco Lucius is that really you?"

The boy smiled and ran down the stairs. Severus allowed the boy to hug him and even allowed himself to hug him back. "You're huge. When did that happen?"

"Mother swears overnight."

The two men laughed.

"She's probably right. How old are you now? Ten? Eleven?"

Draco rolled his eyes at his godfather and shooed the house elf that remained in a deep bow, "Dobby, I'll show Severus to mother."

"Yes Master Draco." the elf bowed again and disappeared with a loud pop.

"I'm Seventeen, and I know you know that because you congratulated me in your handwritten card. Just last month"

"Oh yes I did didn't I, are you enjoying the new broom?"

"Yes it's wonderful, thank you, uncle. Mother is slightly peeved at you for getting it for me. I think she was planning on it for my Christmas gift."

"I'll just have to make it up to her then, won't I?"

Draco smirked, "You can try. She's in there. Just go on in. I'm gonna run and get something, don't leave without me."

Severus rolled his eyes and watched the boy run off. He may have looked like a man but he was still so very young. Severus politely knocked on the door of the green sitting room.

"Come in Severus!"

The man laughed and stepped into the room where his best friend's beautiful wife stood with her arms out stretched for a hug, "Well don't just stand there you big oaf get over here and give me a hug."

He obliged quickly and then took the seat next to the fireplace and began to complain about his new assignment. "Can you believe that man? Hogwarts! I can't believe that he actually wants me to teach. ME?"

Narcissa laughed, "I think you'll do just fine. I know Draco is certainly excited to be getting you for his final year."

"Yes and I'm sure he will change his mind once he has a class with me." Severus groaned and leaned back in the comfortable armchair. "I just don't understand. There are so many other things that I could be doing."

"Well to be honest I think he wants you at the school for the publicity. You are a world renowned potions master and Hogwarts is hosting what is being rumored to be the most competitive Triwizard Tournament in the history of the games."

"Is that so?"

"It is. The most challenging tasks, for the most talented group of kids. Only those students who meet the minimum requirements are going to allowed to place their names in the cup and from what Lucius has told me the competition is going to be steep. The French have four that qualify and they are rumored to have special training in wandless magic. The schools are becoming very competitive."

"And Durmstrang?"

"They are claiming to have some sort of wunderkind who they say will be unbeatable. Draco so wants to be chosen but the competition at Hogwarts is going to be steep. There is a muggleborn girl who was raised by the Lovegood family who is as smart as a whip and there are several Ravenclaws that could turn some heads. It's going to be a good tournament."

"Yes, and I supposedly have some responsibilities?"

Narcissa smiled and nodded, "You will be in charge of overseeing the Durmstrang students. Their headmaster will be here for all the challenges and will visit the kids once a week but the small delegation will be housed in the castle and you shall be their supervisor."

"Oh joy of joys."

"Uncle Severus!" Draco came rushing down the stairs clutching a squirming something to his chest, "This is for you."

A sleek black kitten with yellow eyes was set in Severus's outstretched hands and he stared down at it, blinking. "A kitten?"

"Pansy's cat had a litter and I thought you might like to have one," Draco shrugged and hid a smile as the little creature nuzzled and licked Severus's fingers and started to purr.

"Lovely." He set the kitten on one of the plush chairs around him and gave Draco a small, tight smile. _Not only do I have to deal with students, now I have to take care of a kitten as well._ "Thank you, Draco."

"He'll keep the rodents out of your potion ingredients for sure."

"Draco, I already have spells to do that."

"I know. But this way the rats get eaten and not just kept away."

"We're going to see Severus's Hogsmead apartments. Draco, would you like to come along?" Narcissa interrupted her son with a smile.

The teen nodded, "I'd love to."

Severus smiled and picked up his new kitten that was trying to figure out how to get off of the chair. "Well let's not waste any more time."

* * *

><p>"Dimitri!"<p>

The small 17-year-old boy ignored his grandmother's call and remained where he was staring at the mountain where he could see several birds flying overhead. He had always wondered what it would be like to fly like that. Viktor could fly like a bird, but his grandmother insisted that if the gods intended for us to fly then they would have given us wings. The blue-eyed teen frowned and looked across the street to the familiar house with vines climbing the north wall. He missed his best friend desperately. The vacations had been so much longer without Viktor there to drag him up the mountain to the pond to swim or the cave to sneak cigarettes and vodka. When the older boy had been drafted to the Bulgarian quidditch team he had promised that nothing would change between them, that they would still see each other often, but as with most childhood promises it became increasingly difficult to maintain.

"DIMITRI!"

The boy rolled his eyes and carefully stood up on the steeply sloped roof then walked down to where the gable above his window was. It was his favorite place to hide from his grandmother. With practiced ease, he slipped back in to his bedroom and quickly grabbed a book and flopped on his bed.

He wasn't in place for even a second before the old witch was pounding on his door.

"Dimitri!"

"You can come in."

The old woman threw the door open and glared at him, "Vhat do you think you are doing?"

"Reading?"

The white haired witch frowned, "Ve are late. Sundown is less than thirty minutes! Get dressed. Ve leave in five minutes!"

Dimitri caught the ornate white robes the woman threw at him but said nothing when the woman turned and slammed the door behind her. It wasn't that he hated the gods or wanted to insult them, he simply wanted to have his Friday night's to himself for a change.

His grandmother made him a new set of prayer robes for every new freezing time. These were about a year old and he was amused by their obvious shortness. It meant that he finally got his growth spurt. His grandmother had taken out the hem but there was little that she could do to help the three inches she lacked in material.

The white robes had intricate silver runes delicately embroidered into the sleeves and around the neckline. He walked to where his prayer shawls were. They were in the middle of the growing season so he grabbed his dark green sash and tied it around his waist. He looked in the mirror at his face and frowned. He wished he knew what his parents looked like. He imagined that he must be a blend of the two. Hair from his mother. Nose from his father. Eyes he knew were a patrilineal trait. His grandmother always said that they were a direct result of a blessing from the gods.

He fingered his very short hair and noted that he would have to get it cut before catching the boat to the school next Wednesday. Nevertheless, if didn't he could always visit the school barber. This year would be different. The headmaster had come to visit this summer and informed him that he had been selected as the only Durmstrang representative for the Triwizard Tournament what would be taking place at Hogwarts this year. Their Champion had just barely beaten out Dimitri's best friend Victor Krum three years ago, so the competition would again take place at the British school.

He wasn't sure how he felt about being sent off to an unknown school for his final year but if it meant glory for Durmstrang, he would comply and take on his duty seriously.

"Dimitri!"

"I come!"

With that, he hurried out of his room and down the awkward staircase to where his grandmother stood waiting for him impatiently with her crystal staff in hand, as well as a large bag.

"I'm here! Ve go now. _Why must we speak in English? I know we can't possibly be doing it right."_

"_Because, the headmaster wants you to get practice so that you do not make a fool of yourself when you get to Hogwarts."_

The boy nodded and followed her out of the house and up the familiar worn path to the cave where the seven alters stood. He had been coming here since he was a small child some times for sabbeth and other times follow viktor on one of their romps. The place brought forth so many memories that every time he walked the path he would look around almost expecting his friend to jump out from behind a tree. But the memories were also ones of spirits and prayer. He treated this place with reverence because to them, this was holy ground.

When they reached the edge of the clearing both took off their shoes and entered into the stone circle where Harry quickly laid out a large circular white prayer blanket.

His grandmother immediately knelt down and fell into a deep bow, pressing her forehead flat to the ground. Dimitri fell into place beside her. He could feel the presence of the other faithful that lived in the town with them.

They remained that way for several minutes, until the last golden rays of the sun dwindled and the full moon bleached the clearing. His grandmother then began to speak in the ancient language

"**Gods of Earth, Sun, Moon, Planting, Growth, Harvest, and Frost; we come before you to offer praise and devotion and to beg for guidance and protection for your son." **

The five of them stood as one, and bowed their heads slightly. Harry felt something urge him forward to each of the altars, taking his grandmother's bag with him. On the altar of the God of Earth he left a handful of soil from their garden, and thus he went down the line; leaving an appropriate gift for each of them. A candle, a vial of seawater, a seed, a flower, a handful of wheat saved from last year, and then he cast a quick freezing spell on another vial of water before setting it on the last altar. He remained at the last altar for a few moments as an older couple finished their devotions and a woman, twenty years older than he, completed her prayer at the God of Growth's altar.

_**God of Frost,**_ he prayed silently, _**Please keep me safe and well on my journey this year. I don't know what is to happen to me, and I will need extra help to stay calm and centered while I am away from this holy place.**_ He sat there for another moment longer, feeling the energy flow through him, before he stood and turned.

"_You're done with your devotions?_" The woman asked him, her green eyes bright even in the pale moonlight. Harry knew her well; she always had the best gardens in town. She was tuned to the elements, like he and his grandmother.

He nodded, "_I will be fine while away. The Gods will protect me and help me to stay centered as long as I don't lose faith._"

The older couple smiled at him as well and the hawk-nosed man gave him a hug. "_We will pray for you every day. Don't worry, Dimitri. We'll take good care of your grandmother._"

Harry laughed, "I think it will be Grandmother who is taking care of you, da?"

His grandmother shot the others a smug look, "_He gets his brains from my side of the family._"

_"Will you please tell Viktor when he comes to visit that I'm sorry I missed him and that he should write more."_

The older man laughed, _"you should tell him yourself..oof"_

_"Hektor,"_ The woman elbowed her husband, _"You know how busy both Viktor and Dimitri are. It's a wonder they have time to write home to family let alone find time to write to friends." _The woman smiled at Dimitri fondly,_ "I will relay your message when he comes home to visit for my birthday._"

_"Thank you Mrs. Krum. I really appreciate it."_

"I'm sorry to cut this short but we have many things to do. England and all."

Dimitri waved goodbye and followed his grandmother back toward their house. He looked back up the hill but wasn't too surprised when his best friend wasn't there waving goodbye.


	3. Chapter 2

F R O S T B I T E

By: July and Oktober

Disclaimer: Alright, you guys should know the drill by now, but in case you don't, here goes: WE OWN NOTHING. All Harry Potter characters, places, things, and anything you recognize are the intellectual property of Ms Rowling and anyone else affiliated with her. The idea of the Ice Demon is ours though. Keep away.

RANDOM FACTOID TIME: The surgeon General has put out a warning that too much porn causes fuzzy growths, Skunks smell like strawberries when they mate, your neighbor's cat really is the devil, and snakes are here to guide you to heaven.

Also, we've decided to do away with writing out the accents. July had better appreciate me after this ;_; Between trying to clean house and being at school every day from 7am to 7pm and two bloody hard tests it took forever to get around to re-betaing this chapter. -twitches-

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><p>Dimitri stood next to his grandmother watching as she levitated his trunk onto the dock for him.<p>

"_When are you to leave for Hogwarts?"_

"_The announcement will be made tonight and then I will be taken to London via international floo then I will catch their student transit. Karkaroff says that there are five tasks this year and the tournament will begin almost immediately. "_

"_And you will visit for the solstice?"_

"_Most likely not. The headmaster said that I will have obligations to attend to over the breaks."_

The woman frowned and handed him a large parcel_ "Here."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Your new robes. Let me know if you grow anymore and I'll make you some new ones."_

Dimitri didn't know what to say. He knew how long it took her to make these and if she took the time to do it this summer it meant a great deal of time was lost on her other obligations. "_Thank you grandmother."_ He reached out and hugged her before she could protest.

The woman hugged her boy to her and kissed his cheek, "_The winters of Scotland are very harsh; much more intense than those of Durmstrang. Please take care of yourself and remember to keep yourself focused."_

"_I will Grandmother. I promise." _ He pulled away and started to walk toward the ship, adjusting his brand new blood red Head Boy robes. _ "I'll write and tell you about my progress!"_

The woman smiled and nodded before disappearing with a soft pop.

Dimitri fell in tow behind a group of Third years who, when they noticed his presence, bowed deeply in respect, "_Head Boy."_

Dimitri smiled and them and nodded thanking them for their recognition. When the climbed aboard the old ship the younger students bowed again before they departed to the lower year's holding deck to get out of the way of the crew. The head boy took the steep stair ladder to the top deck where he was greeted by a most unexpected face.

"VIKTOR!" He couldn't control himself, he ran up to his best friend and threw himself into the older man's large muscular arms.

"HARRY!"

The two held each other for a moment before Harry regained his composure and pulled away, "What are you doing here?"

The Bulgarian Seeker smiled and held up his Triwizard Champion ring, "I have duties I must see to for the tournament."

Harry smiled, "I knew that, really I did!"

Viktor smiled and laughed, "Sure you did. That is why you had to ask me."

"Silence!" Harry looked around to see if anyone was watching him. "I have the head boy compartment to myself."

Viktor looked at him for a moment before smiling and nodding and following him to the small compartment near the stern of the ship. He knew they wouldn't be bothered there.

The two spent the next few hours reacquainting themselves on the large sofa that took up about half of the compartment.

"You know, this was my room when I was competing."

Harry stretched out next to Viktor, ran his hand down his friend's bare chest, and paused to scratch his firm stomach, "And did you often spend your nights like this?"

The older man laughed and blushed, "There was a girl. Hermeeoninny. She visited occasionally though we never did anything."

Harry laughed and flipped himself over so that he was straddling his lover. "Is that so? Well then, we should make some better memories."

The man smiled again but placed a hand on Harry's gyrating hips. "We will be arriving soon. We should make an appearance in the top deck commons."

Harry frowned and shifted again eliciting a groan from the larger man, "I am head boy and have a right to keep to myself."

Viktor smiled and pulled the smaller man down and into a kiss. "I promise we will have more time to play when we get to Hogwarts."

The man turned, wiggled free of Harry, and began dressing. "You have a love bite on your neck."

Harry felt himself blush and he stood up to survey the damage, "You know the rules! No marks!"

"Too late."

Harry glared at him and checked his reflection in the mirror. He did indeed have a lovely red mark marring his pale white skin. He silently thanked Viktor for having the decency to place it near the base of his neck so that it could be easily covered by his high-collared head boy robes.

"Do you really want to visit the others?"

Viktor looked and him and shrugged, "It would be good, there would be less talk if we did."

Harry slipped back into his black boxer briefs and slumped on to the sofa again, "What does it matter? We will be leaving for England tomorrow and they all know we used to be together ans still remain good friends. We never hid that."

The older man nodded and stopped dressing and slumped next to Harry wearing only his pants and half buttoned white shirt.

"So, i take it you will be my chaperon then?"

Viktor smiled and shook his head, "No. I will be your mentor. You will have that delightful duty for the next tourney."

Harry sighed; he hated being told about future obligations. "Is there no way out of it?"

"No, my manager would have gotten me out if he could have. He did manage to get it so that I would only have to come a few times a week and would be able to make my morning practices."

"So you won't be staying with me?"

"No you will be staying with one of the Hogwarts Professors."

Harry frowned, "You must be joking."

Viktor shook his head, "I wish was. I'll be there to help you on Tuesdays, Tursdays, and every other Saturday at the very least but I'll probably be there most of the time. "

Harry sighed and leaned over into his friend. "I feel lonely already."

Viktor reached his arm over to pull the smaller boy into a warm embrace "You are cold!"

Harry frowned and reached down and grabbed his best friend's wolf pelt overcloak and threw it over both of them, "I'm always cold."

"I know you are."

Harry cuddled into the others warm chest with a smile. "I missed you."

Viktor kissed the top of his head and the two remained cuddled up until the call of "Durmstrang HO!"shook them from their stupor.

Viktor smiled and laughed lightly, "They're calling for you."

It took a moment for the taunt to register fully in his mind and pull away from the other and slap his shoulder playfully, "you ass! That's the last time I sleep with you."

"Oh really? Is that a dare or a double dare?"

Harry turned and stuck his tongue out and set to dressing.

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><p>The next morning Karkaroff handed the head boy a large parcel and practically pushed Harry and Viktor into the entrance of the international floo that would deposit them in the main arrival terminal at the British Ministry of Magic.<p>

When Harry landed, he felt his knees give way and he fell face first out of the fireplace; the parcel he was carrying flew out of his hands and landed with a thud a few feet out in front of him.

"Harry!"

The boy gently pushed himself up feeling the bruises that were forming on the heels of his hands. He looked up pathetically at Viktor who was looking at him with a worried expression.

"Are you alright?"

The boy nodded and grabbed on to Viktor's extended hand and allowed him to help him up. Harry looked over to where his luggage had fallen out and hurried over to make sure it was okay.

"Here, you dropped your package."

Harry looked up and into the face of the most horribly made up woman he had ever seen. "Thank you."

Viktor frowned and stepped between Harry and the blonde-haired woman protectively, "You have no right to be here, Rita!"

"Now, now, Viktor, no need to get so testy. I'm just passing through on my way back from India. I'm not here to bother."

"Then you won't mind leaving."

Harry looked between the two and tried to think of the connection they shared.

"I will, but first will you allow me to ask you and your companion a few questions? I know my readers would love to get a comment from you." The blonde woman smiled excitedly and waved her hand. With a quick pop, a pad and an acid green quill popped out nowhere and began moving around them excitedly.

"No, no comments! If you want a comment talk to my publicist. We're leaving now and you will NOT follow!" Harry watched as Viktor hurriedly levitated the school trunk and slung his Bulgarian national team bag over his shoulder. HE was about to comment but held his tongue when his mentor grabbed a hold of his arm and began pulling him away from the vial woman.

"Now Viktor does it really have to be that way between friends."

"You are no friend of mine; do not make me contact my Lawyer."

Without further comment, Harry allowed himself to be dragged by his friend to where the British Ministry officials were processing travelers.

"that was Rita Skeeter. Never tell her anything, and I mean anything. Best policy is to just say nothing."

Harry looked back at her just in time to see the flash of a camera. "She's taking pictures of us."

Viktor turned to look again with Harry just in time to see another flash. "Damn that woman and her quill to hell. Pull up your hood and don't look back at her."

Harry did so without argument, "I don't understand?"

"She's a tabloid reporter, and undoubtedly she will be writing something about us for her paper. I expect we will be front page news by lunchtime. I'll contact my publicist and see if there is anything we can do. I'm sorry you got pulled in to this."

The blue-eyed boy shook his head, "Don't be. Karkaroff warned me about the reporters."

They two men got through customs quickly and easily enough. One of the papers in the packet the headmaster sent him with was from the Norwegian Minster of Magic and it explained why they were there.

Once the official realized that they were the Durmstrang delegation, they were whisked out of the main crowd and handed off to a red headed wizard named Weasley.

"We have been looking for you all morning. Headmaster Karkaroff didn't tell me much of anything. I thought I was looking for a group of at least four or five, like Beauxbatons, and silly me, I thought your headmaster would have escorted you to the school. I didn't realize that it would just be you two."

Viktor said nothing and neither did Harry.

"Well we need to hurry. We have a floo connection already set we just need to make the train at this point. It's leaving in fifteen minutes."

Viktor glared at the man, "Then I suggest that we stop talking and start moving."

The man blushed and led the two Bulgarians through the ministry and to the main hall where there were four guards holding a floo for them.

"Here they are. I've found them."

A tall woman smiled and reached out a hand to Viktor, "Hello again Mr. Krum the Minister is pleased that you will be able to perform your duties a mentor after all."

"My manager is very displeased but he has agreed to work with me."

"Hello you must be Mr. Moldov."

Harry looked at the woman and nodded.

"We are pleased to welcome you to our country and hope you enjoy your stay at Hogwarts."

Viktor smiled and motioned toward the woman, "This is Bellatrix Lestrange; she is the head of international relations. She oversees the tournament at a personal request of the Minister of Magic."

Harry nodded and took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles politely.

The woman smiled approvingly, "It's already open all you need to do is step through. The first train car is reserved for the foreign students."

Viktor nodded and said thank you before grabbing Harry and pulling him into the floo with him. Harry clutched on to Viktor's strong form as they spun through the floo network.

When they arrived, Viktor was able to keep him on his feet and Harry smiled a huge thank you. He always had problem traveling by floo.

"It is no problem. But, we need hurry. The train is about to leave."

Harry looked to the train and was surprised to see that Viktor's statement was truer than he had thought. "Shit!"

Viktor flicked his wrist, Harry's trunk appeared on the back platform of the caboose, and they took off running in an attempt to catch the train. They ran after it at full speed with Viktor reaching the ladder first. He grabbed a hold of the wrot iron support and hopped on to the bottom rung of the ladder before reaching back out to Harry who was running as quickly as he could in a desperate attempt to keep up.

He reached out for the hand and became upset when it was just beyond his reach. He could feel himself becoming anxious and his chest become cold. He knew what was happening and that he should stop and center himself but his mind was set solely on the task of catching that train. Harry looked to see how much more platform was left and felt the cold encompass his entire torso when he saw the wall fast approaching. In desperation, he allowed the energy to take over and he felt a cold rush of wind and a feeling of weightlessness. In that second he felt his speed increase; just enough for him to grab a hold of Viktor and to jump up into his friend's arms.

Viktor hugged Harry to his chest as the train whizzed past the walls that enclosed the King's Cross platform and both gasped for air in an attempt to ride out their adrenaline rushes.

Slowly, as the city of London rushed past them, Viktor was able to regain his senses encouraged by the feeling of cold air blowing against his neck, "Harry!"

The Bulgarian seeker looked down at his childhood friend and noted the bluish tint to his normally rosy lips, "Harry! Look at me!"

The dark haired boy blinked slowly and then looked at his friend for a moment before closing his eyes in exhaustion, "I'm so cold, Viktor. So cold."

"Shit!" Viktor quickly half pulled, half carried Harry up on to the metal platform and sat him down gently on the boy's large oak trunk. Without pausing a second, he took off his large wolf pelt cloak, threw it over the boy's shoulders, and began moving his hands over the boy's arms quickly trying to warm him up, "Stupid! STUPID! You know better!"

Harry looked up at Viktor's worried face and gave him a sad smiled, "I'm sorry. I couldn't run faster."

The man looked down at his friend and placed a chaste kiss to his eyebrow, "Come on. Let us get you inside."

Harry woke up to the very odd sensation of being rocked back and forth jerkily. It was not at all like the lulling sensation of the Durmstrang ship. It was much more violent. When he stretched, he was surprised to feel the familiar sensation of a smooth muscular chest against his. He opened his eyes and was greeted to the sleeping face of Viktor who had him tucked into his arms protectively underneath his overlarge pelt cloak.

He thought for a moment and the whole thing came rushing back to him. Viktor had wrapped him up so that he couldn't be seen as he carried him the length of the train all the way to the first car where a compartment had been reserved for them. He vaguely remembered his lover undressing both of them but he assumed he must have passed out from the exhaustion soon after arriving.

Viktor began to stretch and Harry cuddled further into his warm embrace. The hawk nosed man smiled and pulled the boy in to a tighter hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again. You were freezing!"

Harry agreed by nodding and placing a kiss to Viktor's chest where he was hiding from the light. "I'll try."

"We will be arriving soon. We should get dressed."

Harry hummed in response but made no attempt to move. He hadn't been this warm in such a very long time. "Must we?"

"Da. We must."

Harry sighed and pouted into Viktor's chest, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Viktor thought for a moment before nodding, "I will try, no promises. I'm not sure where you will be staying."

Harry nodded and allowed Viktor to put his shirt and over coat back on. He looked around and saw his own wool poet's shirt, vest and red tunic were all laid neatly in the corner of the other bench seat. He quickly redressed himself, reached for the heavy blood red over cloak, and was surprised when Viktor grabbed it and put it on for him, carefully fastening the intricate head boy clasp, "You need to take tings slower. Do not stress yourself, you will make yourself sick."

Blue eyes connected with brown ones and Harry saw the love that his best friend still harbored for him. He could see that unlike his own feelings of platonic brotherly love, Viktor still had the powerful undertones of the lustful romance the two had once shared. They had redefined their relationship to one of friend with benefits before the last tournament when Harry had realized that he could never love Viktor the way that he deserved, not over that kind of distance.

Looking at his friend, he considered what it would be like to revisit their relationship. He knew that his friend wanted to, at least on some level, and Harry began to regret his decision to greet Viktor the way he did. But at the same time, he couldn't really find it in himself to regret it, he had missed his friend they hadn't really seen each other in over a year.

"Viktor. You shouldn't worry about me. I'll be fine."

The man frowned, "No you won't the winters here are harsher. Wilder. You have never experienced the wet climates."

"No. I know that. I just mean that you don't need to care for me in such a way. We are just friends, da?"

Viktor looked at him in annoyance, "I know that! And that is what ee are! It does not mean I will stop worrying about you. I have been worried about you since I was seven years old and we got caught in the cave."

Harry thought back to that night, he and Viktor had been playing on the mountainside near holy grounds. Viktor was seven and he was four but they two were the only young boys in the city. As such they were each others playmates. The blizzard was terrible and he had been too small to get through the snow. Viktor had been forced to leave him in a cave to go and retrieve his parents. Harry had gotten hypothermia and nearly died.

Not really knowing how to respond Harry did the only thing he could think of, hugged his best friend, and placed a gentle kiss on his neck. "You know I love you right?"

Viktor hugged him back and buried his face in Harry's hair, "I do. I will never let any harm come to you. I won't let you be cold."

Harry leaned his head back and let Viktor kiss him gently. He thought for a moment that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to revisit their relationship.

The train began to slow and Viktor let go of Harry and picked up the packet that was sent with them by Karkaroff. "Here. Don't forget this. It has your signed contract and medical requirements."

Harry took the packet and tucked it into the large pocket that was in the liner of his cloak and looked out the window at the grand castle that stood atop the cliffs. He could feel fear grip him with its icy hand wrapping tightly around his heart. "Viktor, I know it's stupid, but... I'm scared."

The man hugged him from behind and looked out the window at the school. "there is nothing to fear. You will take them by storm."


	4. Chapter 3

F R O S T B I T E

By: July and Oktober

Disclaimer: okay so we don't own Harry or his magical broom... no for if we did Ginny would have met her doom... we don't own Severus or his magnificent tool... no for we would use it to make fangirls drool... no we don't own voldy and his maliferous plot... no, for if we did he would have won already and dumbles would rot... we don't own death eaters and their tattooed dark marks... no, for it we did they would come with eyes shaped like hearts... Dear readers please do not sue... for that will bring lot of bad juju upon you... please read and enjoy and take time to review with justly form ... because near the end of this chappy is a scene with some great Harry/Viktor light lusty porn (well more like a little bit of lime)...

Random factoids: In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose...The word "nerd" was first coined by Dr. Seuss in "If I Ran the Zoo."...The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

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><p>Severus looked out over the sea of students and he felt himself becoming sick. Every child was a vessel for some sort of plague. The grubby little hands that they used to touch god knows what during the day were excitedly cramming turkey legs and hot bread into their over eager little traps. He looked down at his own plate and pushed it away in disgust.<p>

He thanked his lucky stars that he would only have to teach a handful of them.

He glanced over to the small group of students dressed in blue that were positioned at the end of the Hufflepuff table. One girl and three boys who were all watching the Hogwarts students display with disgust. He decided that this small subgroup of foreign students might just be bearable. They could at least show a modicum of decorum.

He was also amused to see the reaction of the Hufflepuff students. The students at that table seemed to be watching the students in blue hesitantly, waiting it seemed for one of them to do something... knowing the nature of Hufflepuff students, Severus assumed that they were waiting for their heads to start spinning in circles.

"Are you going to eat that Severus?"

Severus looked over at the man next to him and shook his head, "No. And how you can eat while overseeing this mass display of adolescent gluttony, I will never know. It's barbaric!"

Dolohov, the Dark Arts and their Defenses professor smiled and shrugged taking the turkey leg off his colleague's plate, "You'll learn to ignore them. And if not, oh well, more for me."

Severus looked down the table and surveyed the other professors. They all seemed too happy for his taste. It was unnerving. Didn't they realize that the school was now filled with a thousand some odd adolescents? They had no right to be so happy. The most annoying part was that the only other person at the table who seemed to be as glum as himself was his childhood tormentor, Sirius Black, Transfigurations Professor and Head of Gryffindor House.

The man looked positively miserable and that made Severus feel delightfully pleased.

He turned his attention to the center of the table when the headmistress stood and began banging her knife onto her glass to gain the hall's attention. "Welcome, Hogwarts students to another year of learning. For those of you who do not know, I am Headmistress Sinistra, and I hope that our dealings with one another remains of the causal nature during your time here at Hogwarts. At this time I would like you all to please extend a welcome to our visiting students from Beauxbatons," She paused and motioned toward the small group in blue, and then to two figures at the opposite side of the hall at the Ravenclaw table, "and Durmstrang."

The hall filled with applause. "We welcome you to our school and sincerely hope you enjoy your stay. We would also like to welcome back former Champions Fleur Delacour, and Viktor Krum."

The two champions stood from where they sat next to their students and Severus realized that the other schools had collectively sent a total of four students. That was a blessing indeed for the seventeen year olds would be part of his classes. He actually admired the Durmstrang decision to choose their champion out right. By sending only one option, they had effectively forced the goblets metaphorical hand.

"Cedric Diggory, the previous winner of the tournament will be arriving later this week. So on to business. The student handbooks have been distributed and you will be tested on the material in your first history of magic class. I strongly suggest that students consider studying." The beautiful, aging headmistress stared pointedly to a group of students at the Gryffindor table and Severus silently awarded the woman five kudos.

"Now as this year is a Tri-wizard year, we will conclude tonight's welcoming feast with the selection of the champions."

The students all clapped politely as Argus Filch wheeled in the glowing, green Goblet of Fire.

"The prospective champions' names were entered earlier this week. If your name is in the goblet you have already been informed."

Severus laughed as an excited red headed Gryffindor deflated at the woman's second comment.

"When the champions are selected please step into the trophy room located just over here," she gestured in the direction of the room for the foreign students. "where the weighing of the wands ceremony will commence immediately."

When the goblet was placed at the center of the hall, the headmistress waived her hand, the goblet's fire turned a bright purple, and a piece of paper flew out and into the headmistress hand. Carefully she unfolded the parchment and nodded over to where the single Durmstrang student sat.

"The Durmstrang champion is Harrison Moldov."

Severus got a good look at the student as he followed his mentor into the Trophy room.

The boy was altogether quite handsome if only a little on the short side. He seemed fit and his robes were top of the line. He was probably from a very well off pure blood family. When the boy glanced his way, he was shocked to see ethereal blue eyes, but when the boy looked away, he believed he must have imagined it. Severus noted the boy's dark hair was buzzed and he thought that maybe if it were longer it might have reminded him of someone. The boy paused and shifted uncomfortably before turning and saying something to his companion.

He noted the purple flash of the goblet but paused in surprise when the former champion stopped in the doorway and glared directly at him. Having been caught he blushed and refocused his attention back on the Headmistress.

"The Beauxbatons Champion is Bayard Fraser." Severus glanced and saw that Bayard was smiling widely and practically ran to the room where the other boy had just disappeared. He was also amused to see that Fleur was forcing the other two boys to follow and scolding them in French most likely for being sore losers.

Severus thought mildly that the Durmstrang champion had very a very familiar nose and continued to think on him before the goblet flared to life one more time and he looked over to the Slytherin table where his Godson who was smiling in excitement.

"The Hogwarts champion is..."

Severus wanted to throw something at her for putting in a dramatic pause. The entire hall was on the edge of their seats and he could see Draco turning white in his nerves.

"HERMIONE GRANGER!"

A cry of outrage rang from the Slytherin table as they all rallied behind Draco who had slumped back in to his seat in shock.

However, the rest of the hall was giving the bushy haired girl at the Ravenclaw table a standing ovation.

Severus had the desire to remove points from his new house when he heard one of them demand a recount. Surely, they really weren't that incompetent.

When the girl disappeared into the room, Headmistress Sinistra finished up the start of term announcements and dismissed the school instructing the students to follow their prefects to their dormitories and to refrain from having any parties tonight. If heads of houses had to come and break anything up due to noise complaints from the paintings or ghosts it would result in a fifty-point reduction for every person involved.

Severus smiled and awarded the headmistress an additional five-kudos.

As the students filed out of the hall the sixty professors of Hogwarts all stood and began either talking amongst themselves or hurried out into the school to begin their rounds. Severus had been informed before dinner that he would be responsible for retrieving the Durmstrang student and delivering him to his dorm, which would be in the dungeons, adjacent to his own. When he arrived a week ago, he had been informed that he would share a suite with the new Astronomy master. Not having any of it, he had complained to the Dark Lord whom promptly corrected the issue. However, there was nothing to be done about Harrison Moldov. The boy would be his responsibility while here and as such would share the suite with him.

"Severus, Amelia, if you will come with me please, the wand weighing needs to commence."

Severus rolled his eyes and followed the French language teacher and the headmistress through the mob of professors to the trophy room where the three Champions, two mentors, two disgruntled French boys and the elderly wand maker were all waiting for them.

"Shall we begin headmistress?"

The woman nodded absently to the man, pulled out three booklets, and began flipping through them.

Severus moved quickly to the back of the room and leaned against a small stretch of wall. He glanced over to the two boys who hadn't been selected and was amused to see them smile politely when Fleur would look over at them but then scowl at Bayard when she would look away.

"Ladies first, Miss Granger if you would please,"

* * *

><p>The girl smiled and walked forward and handed the man her wand proudly, "10 and ¾ vine..."<p>

The man smiled, "with a dragon heartstring core. Yes my dear. I remember every wand I have ever sold."

Harry looked the bushy haired girl over and smiled at her politely when she looked over at him. She seemed very full of herself. She wasn't exceptionally pretty so he concluded that she must have been a know it all. That was the only way an ugly girl ever got so cocky.

He leaned back and told Victor so and received a reprimanding glare, "_that is unfair of you to say. She is quite pretty."_

He looked at him in confusion but refused to feel guilty.

The wand maker flipped the wand over in his hands and then muttered something below his breath that caused the candle that was floating above his head to turn in to a white dove.

"Still in perfect condition. Thank you very much Hermione."

The girl smiled and took her wand back before walking over to where the headmistress was waiting with the official Triwizard rulebook.

Putting two and two together when he caught the girl's first name, Harry looked at the girl he now knew was Viktor's old fling and gave her a second appraisal. "_Alright, with some work I can see how she could be somewhat attractive."_

When the girl looked over her shoulder and smiled at his best friend Harry felt himself become defensive.

"_Just remember she is my competition."_

He remained looking straight ahead when he heard Viktor laugh lightly, "_If I didn't know any better I would say you were jealous."_

Harry felt himself blush a little and looked over at the girl again. He mentally corrected his earlier statement. He didn't care how much effort she may put into it, the girl would never qualify as attractive.

"Mr. Fraser, if you will?"

Ollivander smiled at the French teen that walked forward and elegantly flipped his wand out and into the hand of the elderly wizard.

The door burst open and a winded Bellatrix Lestrange hurried into the room, "So sorry I'm late."

She looked around and quickly noted whom the champions were. "Moldov, Fraser, and oh... dear me that is a surprise. Congratulations Ms. Granger. I think you are the first Muggleborn to have ever been selected for this competition. All of Britain will be watching you. I hope you are ready to live up to their expectations. After all we do have a fifteen year winning streak."

Harry looked at the girl and refrained from laughing at how white she had become. It was amazing how quickly the mighty would fall when an authority figure called them out.

Ollivander apparently had been paying no attention to the ministry official's disruption and began questioning the French boy's wand composition, "Ash, and unicorn hair it's a little short. Does it work well for you?"

"It wuz twelve inches but, I broke ze handle off when I wuz eleven. We got it repaired but some length wuz lost. It's still works fine."

Ollivander waived it at a large blue trophy, which promptly began to giggle, "Hmm. Very good repair. It will serve you well enough."

The teen nodded and happily took his wand from the man and walked over to where the Hogwarts headmistress was explaining rules to Hermione. Harry thought it was very rude of the witch not to wait until all the champions were finished to explain the rules. Seeing that with every passing second he was missing precious information he didn't wait to be called instead he just walked forward and held out his wand to the gentle old man.

"What do we have here?"

"Eleven and a half inches made of Holly collected on the winter solstice, with _vodyanio_ hair core."

Ollivander looked at him oddly. "That is a very odd combination. Who is the maker if I may ask?"

Harry looked back at Viktor who shrugged, "My grandmother made it for me when I was seven."

The man smiled, "Interesting. And it's worked well for you."

"It works very well. I have never had a problem."

"Odd, I would expect it to be stubborn and hard to manage, considering the combination."

Harry shrugged. "If it is, then I know no different."

Ollivander laughed and waived the wand causing a jet of water to shoot out, fly across the room, and splash on the floor near where the dark man was standing impatiently. Harry looked over in amusement and was surprised to see the man glare at him.

"A bit unpredictable and very stubborn, but If you are happy with it..."

"I am." Harry took his wand and thanked the man.

"To each their own." The wand maker smiled at him kindly before turning to the mystery official, "Madam Lestrange I deem these wands weighed and fit for competition."

The witch smiled and handed him the paper that he needed to fill out.

Harry hurried over just in time to hear the headmistress wrap up the discussion of the rules. "If you have any questions then you should speak to your mentor. Mr. Moldov here is your official rulebook. Now if you will excuse me I have a mountain of paper work that I need to see to."

The three students looked at each other as the woman stormed out and unsurprisingly it was the know-it-all who was the first to speak, "Well, I guess I'll see you both in class?"

Bayard looked at her blankly and Harry nodded his head shortly.

"You would know better that we would. Your school has hosted the last five competitions."

Hermione blushed and nodded, "Yes you will be in classes with us. I should... uh... I should go."

Before another word could be said, Hermione turned and nodded at Viktor before quickly leaving the room.

Harry nodded to Bayard and then walked over to where Viktor was talking to Fleur.

"I waz sad to miss you at ze wedding."

"I was sorry to miss it. But you know how the circuit can be."

Harry knew that he should have probably waited for a better interruption point but he was tired and agitated, "Viktor, do you know where I will be staying?"

"Oh 'ello! I'm Fleur Weasley, you must be Harry. Viktor 'as told me much about you."

Harry looked sideways at his mentor before taking the veela's hand and kissing it politely. "I'm sorry I can't say the same for you. It is a pleasure to meet you though, none the less."

The girl smiled, "We will 'ave to talk later. I must see to my boys."

Viktor and Harry nodded at her when she curtsied her apology. Harry turned to ask his question again but was cut off by the tall dark man that had been watching him earlier, "If you don't mind I would appreciate it if I could return to my quarters sometime this evening."

Harry looked at the man in confusion, "Are you the chaperon that Headmaster Karkaroff mentioned?"

The man scowled, "I am Potions Master Severus Snape and you have been assigned to me."

Harry looked to Viktor for conformation, which he received in the form of a sharp nod.

"Then I will follow you to my room."

The man rolled his eyes and began walking off. Harry looked at Viktor who pushed him gently forward and the two men fell in tow behind him.

"This is Hogwarts and no, I'm not going to give you the grand tour. You will undoubtedly have many of the students here waiting to be at your beck and call that will gladly act as a brainless tour guide for you, if you so wish."

Harry didn't have time to even see where they were going as he tried his best to keep up with the long legged man. If he had been able to catch his breath long enough to speak he would have been saying several rude things to the equally rude man.

They descended several long staircases as they delved in to the castle's dungeons. Harry could feel a moist chill in the air and he glanced back at Viktor with his worry clearly written on his face.

"Is this where Harry will be staying? Because I fear for his health."

"I can assure you Mr. Krum that the living quarters in the dungeons are perfectly acceptable for daily habitation. He _should_ be fine."

Harry shot the man a glare when he made a sharp turn and took them down another flight of stairs.

"But if he needs other accommodations I will be more than happy to inform the headmistress. After all we can't have our precious champions getting ill now can we."

Harry could feel the anger radiating off of his lover behind him.

"Can you at least slow down!"

When Severus stopped in his tracks, Victor was forced to reach out and grab a hold of the smaller boy's shoulders to keep him on his feet.

"We're here."

"A warning would be nice next time!" Harry glared at the man and watched as he gently reached up and tapped a wonky looking brick about two feet from the ceiling.

The tall man turned at looked at the teen and frowned, "I don't expect there to be a next time. I have showed you the way and I expect you to have learned it en route."

Viktor's grip on him tightened. Which Harry translated to mean that he was trying to restrain himself from either verbally and/or physically assaulting the man.

The wall melted away into a large oak door. Harry blinked in surprise when the Professor gently inserted a key and opened the door. It was ridiculous to see the great ass of a man take care with anything.

Harry followed the man in and took in his surroundings. The room was not at all like he had expected. The room had wood walls that were covered in warm green and brown wallpaper with the occasional landscape painting. There was a very nice sitting area with a large comfortable beige sofa with matching armchairs situated around a fireplace. In the corner, there was a small multipurpose table and several large fully stocked bookcases, and the most surprising thing of all was that there was no damp chill.

"This is our commons area. Your room is just over there. I'm sure the house elves have delivered your trunk. Now if you don't need any further assistance I will be in my room. Please do not disturb me."

Harry turned and watched as the man began taking off his outer robe as he walked toward one of the two doors on the left side of the room. "Wait, so we are to share commons areas?"

Severus turned and looked at the boy, "Believe me, I begged for another arrangement. These two rooms are mine. Stay out of them. Your room is just there, if you could please see your guest out when you are done visiting." without really finishing his statement he turned and left.

Harry looked at Viktor and began shaking his head, "N_o no no! I will not live with that! He's a monster!" _

Viktor reached out, grabbed Harry's arm, and pulled him to the sofa and into his lap. Harry wanted to protest but gave instantly when Victor took his ice-cold hands and tucked them between his own. Reluctantly Harry allowed himself to curl into the warmth his friend was offering.

"_I__t will be alright. I will talk to someone tomorrow and get this whole mess taken care of. I'm not leaving you alone with a man like that."_

Harry nodded and cuddled up closer to Viktor and looked at the blazing fire_. "Can you believe it? An actual fireplace. I have never seen a fire like that before."_

"_I couldn't believe how large their fires were either, until I saw them myself."_

Harry smiled in contentment and glared over at the door where the man had disappeared,_ "Maybe he won't be that terrible of a roommate. He could be the quiet type that never leaves his room."_

Viktor frowned,_ "you could only be so lucky."_

Harry shrugged and leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Victor's lips. _"I don't like that Herm-ee-OWN-knee girl."_

Viktor smiled in amusement,_ "Are you really that jealous of something that never really was?"_

"_I didn't like the way she was smiling at you." _Harry glared at the fire_. _He knew that he was being ridiculous but he couldn't help himself.

"_Hey stop that. Weren't you the one just saying on the train how we were just friends and nothing more?"_

Harry blushed and glared resolutely at the fire, _"That is the current arrangement. I was just reminding you."_

The blue eyed teen bit his lip when Viktor pulled his chin and forced him to look at him,_ "Are you okay with that."_

Harry looked in Viktor's eyes searching for his own personal feelings in his dark understanding orbs. He knew that Viktor wanted more. He'd only agreed to less all those years ago because Harry had given him no choice. "_I… I just..."_

"_What is it?"_

Harry looked away and sighed, _"I don't know. I don't know what I want or feel I just... we haven't actually seen each other in over a year. And then yesterday you were just... there. I've been missing you all summer. You were all I could think about and then there you were... All of the sudden... you were just standing there on the ship, waiting for me."_

"_Harry..."_

"_And now were here... and that know it all bitch looked at you and all I wanted to do was to tell her to keep her eyes off of you... It used to be so simple... I just..."_

Viktor smiled sympathetically. _"I know it must be hard. At Durmstrang everyone knew that I only had eyes for you and never tried anything. It must have been hard for you to see her."_

"_Hard! The bitch was undressing you with her eyes."_

"_And so what if she was. We did date after you broke up with me. Or, do you not remember that. You were the one who couldn't handle the distance, and don't even pretend for a second that you didn't find your own comfort in another's arms. I know all about Anton and Hans."_

"_That's different. It was always just physical."_ Harry frowned and tried to pull out of Viktor's embrace, _"It wasn't fair to you or me to try and make it work long distance. That summer was terrible you can't blame me for ending it! You know I hate being alone! You know how I get! It was unfair of you to ask it of me!"_

The man's face immediately turned apologetic and Harry felt himself stop resisting his pulls, _"I know that Harry, and I'm sorry. You're right, but I'm here now. You have no idea what it's been like for me. I've been just as alone as you, and I think about you all the time. "_

Harry glared at him, _"then why didn't you write? And two letters of well wishes at Solstice and Beltaine doesn't cut it either."_

Victor's face fell and he let go of Harry_, "I know... I was wrong. I tried so many times to write you back. I just didn't know what to say. Every time I put pen to paper all I would write was how much I missed you and wanted to be with you. It was too painful."_

Harry stared at him in slight shock.

"_Damn it, Harry."_ The older man took a deep breath, _"I didn't want to come here. I didn't want to mentor you because I knew that I would have to see you that I would have to deal with this."_

"_Deal with what?"_

Viktor smiled sadly,_ "I never stopped loving you. I couldn't and I can't count myself as a man if I don't try and see if we could make it work." _

Harry swallowed thickly. The conversation was bringing up old memories that he had fought for so long to forget.

"_The old reasons are gone. I have to be here whether you like it or not for the rest of the year and then you will graduate and you can come with me. No more distance. I can be here. I WILL be here."_

"_Victor please..."_

"_Listen we don't have to put a label on it. I love you. I've loved you since I met you when I was four years old."_

Harry looked at him with sad eyes, _"Oh Viktor, why must you always be such a drama queen..."_

He smiled at the joke but continued pressing. "_You can't tell me you don't feel the same."_

"_That's not fair_," Harry pouted, "_you know __I do. I love you, but is that enough? I just..."_

"_You're just what?"_

After a long pause Harry averted his eyes back to the fire, "_I'm no good for you."_

"_You're wrong," _Victor's response was to pull his lover's gaze back to him,_ "you're too good for me..."_

Harry pulled away angrily,_ "I'm not. I can't be true to you. If you were gone, I couldn't help myself..."_

"_I know Harry but I'll be here. Even when I'm gone all you would have to do is firecall and I would be here."_ Viktor reached out and grabbed his lover's face and forced the smaller man to look at him._ "All I'm asking is for you to try. Just to try. You owe me that."_

"_We shouldn't. It would never work... you'll be gone all the time and I'll be trapped here alone."_

"_Stop talking about what we should or shouldn't do. Stop thinking about how it could fail..." _

"_Somebody should. It's not always happiness and fairy tale endings... oh..." _Harry stopped his protests when the twenty year old reached out with both hands and grabbed a hold of his hips possessively, pulling the seventeen year old toward him.

"_Just stop thinking for one damn minute and tell me this does this excite you?"_

Before Harry could process the change in scenario he found himself pinned to the sofa with Viktor biting his neck with hands grabbing him possessively in ways Harry knew were indicative of Viktor Krum asserting his dominance.

Harry felt his resolve disappear and began kissing him back grinding up against his mentor wantonly. The blue-eyed boy felt himself fill with warmth and ground himself more forcefully against the hardness of Victor desperately wanting more.

Viktor broke the kiss and pushed to the left side of his lovers face to grab the shell of his ear in soft bite,_ "Don't you love this?"_

_ting ting_.

Harry felt his chest clinch in excitement and felt the slightest hint of cold sting his heart. Part of him wanted to run scared, the part other reached out and pulled him closer_. "You, giving yourself to me completely?"_

_ting ting_

Another pang of excitement and then distantly a bell, in the back of his mind spurred a shard of ice to splinter into his heart, bringing with it dread.

_ting ting ting_

"_Viktor Stop!" _Harry began pushing him off, fear consuming him.

The 20 year old backed off panting, watched, and waited patiently for him to respond.

_ting ting_

Harry took a moment to try and collect his mind but every time he had a concrete thought he would lose it when a soft bell would ring. For several minutes, Harry tried to hone in on his feelings but he was continually hearing that damn bell. _"Do you hear that?"_

Harry trailed off midsentence as a small black shape streaked by him, jingling all the way, and the tiny kitten reared up and started scratching at Severus's door, letting out pathetic little mews every few moments; its little gold bell and black leather collar gleaming in the firelight.

Viktor's eyes widened, "_No. Can't be_."

"_There is no way…"_ Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion, and hurriedly bit back a laugh when the door opened to reveal the surly Professor wearing a green knee length bathrobe and… white tube socks.

Severus reached down and picked up the kitten before cuddling it to his chest, and glaring at the two young men as they burst into gales of laughter. He snorted, "Come on, Plato," and slammed the door shut.

Harry and Viktor looked at each other, before exclaiming in unison, "He has a cat!"

The two men laughed and laughed until Harry was literally crying his sides ached so bad.

Then out of sheer exhaustion, Harry slumped down on the sofa and Viktor snuggled up between his legs laying half on top of him.

The two stared at each other for a long moment before the professional seeker bit the corner of his lip and smiled softly at his oldest friend, _"I know you're scared, but do you think you would be willing to try again?"_

Harry looked at him for a moment and searched for a reason to say no, deep in his gut he feared that this would end up as a disaster but in his mind he couldn't find a single reason to say no."_You promise we'll take it slow?"_

Viktor smiled manically and pushed himself up onto his elbows, "_Is that a yes?_"

Harry couldn't help but smile when his lover became so excited, "_Do you promise we'll take it slow?"_

The man nodded, _"we'll go as slow as you want."_

"_Thank you"_

"_Though,"_ he smiled teasingly, _"I don't know how slow we can go, we already sleep together and use the L word."_

The teen looked at him pointedly, "_You know what I mean!_"

Viktor smiled and nodded before climbing up and catching the other boy's lips in a passionate kiss that continued to the point where both men were gasping for air with lips that were flushed with blood and arousal.

"_Come on!" _Harry detached himself from Viktor and stood up grabbing his lover by the arm. _"We need to get out of here. As exciting as it may be to get caught in the act, I have a feeling Professor Snape might kill me if we have sex on his sofa." _


	5. Chapter 4

F R O S T B I T E

By: July and Oktober

DISCLAIMER: Just a reminder that we don't own anything. I'll make July come back and add something funny later.

We're really sorry about the delay on this. We both started classes and homework and studying ate up all of our time. We'll try to do better next time.

* * *

><p>Harry looked up at the doors to the Great Hall. <em>Finally!<em> He thought with a touch of irritability, _This has been the worst morning. Waking up without Viktor was bad enough, but getting lost?_ He wished the dour potions master had been kind enough to leave something as a guide, but no. He grumbled something under his breath about staircases and stepped into the huge room, just in time to hear the Headmistress announce the end of breakfast.

"Your homeroom sheets are at the back of the room. You have fifteen minutes before points will be taken for being tardy." Headmistress Sinistra looked frazzled beyond compare, but Harry just couldn't bring himself to care. She was incompetent.

He pushed his tall frame past the other students huddled around the papers. He looked carefully for his name when he heard a small squeak behind him and felt someone poking him in the side.

"Uhm, sir?"

He turned to stare down at a small, pudgy, brown-haired boy. "Yes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Could you tell me what room I'm in? I can't see." The boy looked positively terrified.

"Name?" Harry asked, coolly.

"Longbottom!" The boy stretched up on his toes, as if to try and see past the horde of taller students.

Harry turned back to the papers and frowned, "There are two."

"My name is Felix! Neville is my brother."

"Ah. You will be in Harn's Potions." Harry peered a little closer, "Lab room B-2."

"Thank you! I don't care what the others say, you're not scary at all," and with that little bit of praise, the boy sped off for the dungeons.

Harry blinked in surprise. _The first years think I'm scary?_ Then he shook it off and started looking for his own name again. Ten minutes later, he was firmly ensconced in a chair next to a thin young woman named Pansy, in Professor Black's Transfiguration class.

The professor slouched into the room, and stopped in front of Hermione. "Ms. Granger. Seeing as how the tournament is going to be taking up most of your time; I, as your head of house, have decided that you will be dropped from all of your electives."

"B-b-b-b-but, Professor! You can't! I need those!" Her face crumpled, and Harry bit back a laugh when he realized she looked like she was going to start crying.

Professor Black pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. You can keep two."

She still looked very unhappy at this predicament and started muttering to herself. "Well, there's no way I can get rid of Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes is indispensable… but then there's Care-"

"Ancient Runes and Arithmancy it is." Professor Black turned his back on the still sputtering Hermione and shuffled to his desk. "Class, this year you will be learning all about the various ways of human transformations. From turning someone else into an animal, to Animagus transformations." He looked around the room and sighed, "Look, none of you are going to be able to become an Animagus. It takes hard work, determination, and more study time than you'll ever have. So turn to page ten in your book, and please follow along."

Harry stared. _This is what passes for Transfiguration?_ And with a disgruntle snort, turned to his work.

The professor read aloud to the class for the duration of the period and Harry felt as if someone had cast a sleeping charm upon him. He fought the temptation, along with so many others. Just as he was about to lose the battle he was shocked back to life by the classroom door opening and a very stout woman in green robes walked through the door.

"Sirius, dear, may I take the Triwizard students to their first class?"

"Hmm? Oh sure, whatever."

Harry stood with the other two and bid a polite farewell to a very drowsy Pansy, before following the other teacher to a small room near the courtyard.

"My name is Pomona Sprout, and I'm here to help you with your first lesson for the Tournament. As you know, there are four tasks this year, and each lesson will be beneficial in some way to helping you through. The first lesson were going to dive into is dealing with sentient plants. Bayard, I have a patch of Mandrakes that needs to be dealt with, Harrison-"

"Dimitri." Harry said shortly.

The woman flushed, embarrassed. "Yes, Dimitri. You will be in charge of the Kichererbsen."

Harry saw the extremely confused look on Bayard's face and made a mental note to ask him about it.

"And Hermione, you'll come with me. We've been having a drought recently and the Whomping Willow needs a little extra watering. The greenhouses you boys want are off that way and Hermione, do cheer up. There's a reason why I'm going with you."

Professor Sprout set off with a miserable looking Hermione in tow, and Harry turned to ask Bayard about his unusual expression. "When she mentioned the Kichererbsen, you made a funny face, why?"

Bayard shook his head, "Because the only thing I know of that goes by that name is a food. Chickpeas. The word is German; it actually means 'giggling peas' so I was confused why it was in our list of things to work with."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe the food is made from the laughing peas?"

"I'm not sure."

They headed to the greenhouse and got to work on their own projects immediately. Harry moved his tray of peas into another greenhouse, so as not to deal with the mandrake noises, and started to work on planting, when he heard a girlish giggle in his ear. Turning, he wondered how someone had snuck up on him, and was surprised to see no one there. When the giggles went off again, he heard a name being called out as well.

"Viktor!"

He ground his teeth together. Now he knew what those giggles were from. They sounded like that awful Hermione! These Kichererbsen really knew which sound would irritate him the most. He didn't think the vapid little путка* (Cunt) could make a noise like that. Apparently, he was wrong. With a muffled curse, he conjured a pair of earmuffs that didn't help at all. The only thing that silenced these monstrosities was to be planted.

When Harry finally finished stuffing the little seeds into the tray of dirt he let out a sigh of relief and watched as a group of students chattered their way back to the school, accompanied by two professors. From what Viktor had told him of the layout of the school, the students were heading back in from the stables and those must have been the Care of Magical Creatures professors.

And as the noon bell tolled he realized it must also be lunch. Shouldering his pack on, he headed up to the Great Hall. Picking one of the nearly empty tables he had no sooner sat down than a plate materialized in front of him. He wasn't feeling all that hungry though and pushed his food around his plate for a few moments until a voice in his ear said, "You need to eat, Harry. You cannot win the tournament by starving yourself."

"Viktor!" Harry pulled the other man down to the bench next to him. "Did you speak with anyone?"

"Of course."

Harry gave him an irritated frown when no more information was forthcoming. "Well?"

Viktor grinned. "He cannot do anything when you are roomies. He cannot take points, give you detention, and if he touches you at all you are to report to the Headmistress."

Harry snorted. "The woman is incompetent. I will go directly to _you_ if he does anything."

"Good." Viktor nodded. "Just do not provoke him."

"Who me?" Harry asked innocently.

Viktor leveled a look at him. "I have to go to a mentor's meeting soon. I will meet you down in the common room tonight soon as I am able."

"Fine, fine." Harry smiled. "I will see you later then."

Viktor grinned again, and left after giving Harry a hug.

Harry finished his lunch quickly, not wanting to be late to his potion's class. He left the plate on the table, not sticking around to see that it disappeared just as it had appeared. He made his way down to the dungeons, making sure to keep away from the moving staircases at all costs. After getting lost once today, he didn't want to get lost again.

He saw a group of students chattering their way through the halls of the dungeon, and figured he should ask one of them for directions."Excuse me," he tapped a girl on the shoulder, "can you show me to the NEWT level potions classroom?"

She turned and cocked her head at him, "Oh! You're Harry. Hello, I'm Luna."

"Please," he said with a pained expression, "Call me Dimitri."

"Oh, of course, Harry," she said, ignoring his correction and leading him down a hallway of classrooms. One classroom though had him stopping in his tracks. The accent he heard emanating from the room full of first-years was unlike anything he'd ever heard.

"Welcome first years to Harn's Potion's Barn!" The man speaking had a very broad smile on his face and was moving animatedly about the room. "Since this is your first day of your first year, I want ya'll to be ready to board the learnin' train!" And then he blew a train whistle.

Harry pondered this for a moment, before the girl, Luna, tugged on his arm. "Harry, your class is down this way."

"Where is he from?" Harry asked her, baffled by the man and his accent. "I could not understand anything!"

"He's from America. They're a little hard to talk to, until you get used to it. Much like the Hinkendirks." Luna replied breezily and steered him in the right direction. "Your class is over there, have fun Harry!"

Harry have her retreating back a strange look before he stepped through the doorway and looked around the room. He was quite amused by the lack of early students. In his first day he had already discovered that he overall lack of effort that the general student populace exhibited and wondered how exactly the school managed to win the past five tournaments. The senior potions lab was large and surprisingly well lit. Well at least compared to the tiny brewing rooms at Durmstrang. With a smile he walked toward the front of the room to find a good table. Unfortunately as he began to walk toward the desk that was front and center another student arrived and stopped him.

"You can't sit there!"

Harry looked at the tall red headed boy with a frown, "Says who?"

"That's my table, has been for the past three years. You'll have to sit somewhere else."

"Funny you don't look like a front row student." Harry placed his bag down and moved to take the seat that the other boy was insisting was his. The boy's robes were disheveled and his bag was practically empty. No, this boy was the kind that hid in the second to last row and tried not to be noticed when he goofed off or fell asleep.

"Listen here; you don't know who you are messing with!" The red headed boy bucked up raising his nose so high Harry could see the long untrimmed hairs move as the boy's nostrils flared.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I'm very good a reading people and you look like an idiot."

Ron puffed up indignantly, "Listen here dumb-strang, it's my table! Move!"

"I may be new to your school, but I'm not stupid." Harry looked away from the boy in favor of inspecting the large heating mantle setup in the center of the table, "This lab is designed for senior level students, there is no way you could have been in here for the past three years and by the group of sixth years who I followed down here that are meeting in the lab across the hall I can easily deduce that the NEWT level classes meet at the same time."

"That was...they just changed it this year!"

"If you are going to lie you need to do better than that." The boy's ears began to turn red and Harry felt himself smirk. "I can see how much you want the seat and I might be willing to let you have it. So tell me, why do you really want the seat?"

"I like to take good notes."

"Last chance. I despise liars"

"Fine!" The boy huffed, "It's her favorite spot. Ever since we were first years. She always sits in this position. I've been trying for the past three years to be her lab partner but she was always paired before I could get to class can you please give me the table."

"Really? That's it?" Harry smiled in amusement, "Alright then, What's her name?"

"Does it matter you'll see soon enough?"

"I don't know, if she has a sexy name I might prefer to partner with her. After all such a sought after lab partner she must either be very smart or very good looking and easy to get to bed."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HERMIONE THAT WAY!"

"You mean Granger?" Harry grabbed his bag and stood up, "You should have just said that to begin with. No way I'm going to share a desk with her."

Ron didn't waste a second before slipping into the vacated seat and glaring that the other boy clearly trying to scare him off.

Harry ignored him and walked toward the second to last row and took a seat well away from the obnoxious red head. As he began to pull out his text more students began to file in and Harry made himself busy reading over an essay on a novel way to extract Belladonna toxin found in his copy of Russian Potions Quarterly.

He idly noticed a girl with an obnoxious laugh begin to talk to another girl with a thick Indian accent who was smacking on some gum. He rolled his eyes at them. He would never understand why girls insisted on being so annoying. He turned his face away from the two girls and continued to read.

Eventually the chattering reached a level that he could no longer focus on his reading and he looked up to where a clock hung in the back of the room. 2:57, he wondered where the professor was. He glanced toward where the red head was sitting and was surprised to see that the Hogwarts champion had yet to arrive either.

"do you mind If I sit here there aren't any other seats?"

Harry looked up at a rather homely looking boy who was standing next to the desk looking hopeful, "Well actually there is one in the front but you may sit here if you like."

The boy smiled and took the stool setting his new designer bookbag carefully next to him. "I'm Neville."

Harry smiled cordially and shook his proffered hand. "Dimitri."

The lanky boy nodded and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the obnoxious sound of a complaining Hermione Granger, "But Professor Snape, Professor Anderson always gives the option to his students to complete a fifty foot extra credit research paper over summer."

"And that would matter if I was Professor Anderson."

"But professor I think if you read it you see it is worthy of extra..."

"I assure you Ms. Granger it is not worthy of extra credit."

"But if you would just look at it..."

The man paused on his way up the isle and turned to address her, "I will not give you extra credit before term begins."

"But term has begun sir! PLEASE! Just look at it?"

The man's demeanor changed and he reached out for the paper almost indulgently.

The girl stopped in shock.

"You want me to look at it don't you?"

The girl swallowed and noticed for the first time that she was surrounded by her classmates.

"Just hand it over know it all!" Harry looked over to where the two annoying girls from earlier were watching, mirth in their eyes.

She swallowed again and handed it over to the professor who immediately began to read it.

"The transitive properties of mandrake root?"

The girl nodded

"How elementary." The man skimmed the paper, "Aside from your poorly thought out abstract, Why is this single spaced, and why isn't it in the Standard PMA format. Your annotations are done incorrectly. And to top it off you have misspelled Olympiodorus! Though why you referenced him I will never know because none of his research had anything to do with mandrake root!"

Harry was stunned at how quickly the man gave his opinion and wanted to get a look at the paper to see if he was making it all up. However in that instant before the thought had even finished forming in his mind the Potions Master ripped the parchment four times and handed the pieces back to the bushy haired, buck toothed girl.

"I do not give extra credit. Not now or ever. You will receive the grades you earn in this class. Now take your seat!"

In that moment Harry felt for the girl. He could see tears in her eyes as she bit her lip and hurried to the seat that Ron had saved for her. But those tears of hurt changed to tears of embarrassment when the dolt stood up indignantly, "That is NOT ACCEPTABLE!"

The students in the back of the class all began to laugh to themselves as the professor turned with a clear expression of shocked fury from where he was writing on the black board.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!"

"She put a lot of work in to that paper and you refuse to even look at it? "

"Make that twenty points."

"This is preposterous."

"Make it thirty. Another comment and it will be fifty, and you and your little girlfriend will be asked to leave class and never return! SIT DOWN NOW!"

Harry could see the panicked look on the girl's face and was happy to see the foolish boy concede and sit down, whispering a quiet apology to the Hogwarts champion.

"Lets begin with a start of term assessment. Turn to page 578 and begin working on the potion there. This is for a test grade so I suggest you proceed quickly and work efficiently. I will writing some supplemental instructions on the board while you prepare your ingredients. Oh... and anyone who fails to brew the potion to a level I deem as satisfactory will not be invited back next class."

Harry waited for the class around him to make the first move and was sorely disappointed to see the class staring stupidly around at each other.

"What are you waiting for MOVE!"

As one the entire class jumped. Harry watched as all of the students hurried to the side tables where a variety of ingredients were laid out. He looked down at his book and reached for a small piece of glass cut in the shape of a trigonal prism that the Headmaster Karkaroff had given him just before he had left. It was a translation prism. It belonged to the school but it had been given to him on loan to aid him with his language barrier.

Sure he was perfectly fine with conversational English but Scientific and Magical theoretical English was an entire other matter. Neville stood next to him waiting patiently to see what the boy had to say.

Harry looked at him over the prism questioningly, "yes?"

"Listen I wasn't entirely truthful earlier. I'm no good at potions. I actually really suck. My Parents pulled some strings with the governors to get me in here. I need it to become an Auror."

Harry frowned, great... this was just what he needed. A baby that needed sitting. "So you mean to tell me that you don't know anything?"

Neville frowned, "I'm sorry. I've been paired with Hermione since second year. She never let me brew. But I can prepare ingredients. I'm very good at that actually."

He reached up and rubbed at the tension that was forming between his eyes. "Just give me a minute. I need to try and read this."

Neville pointed out kindly, " Condensed instructions are on the board. As well as the ingredient list. Should I get started?"

"I can't read the board... It doesn't make any sense... Please... just give me a minute."

Harry read down the list through the translation prism to no avail. Some of the ingredients weren't translating clearly. He looked around and frowned when he saw the professor's eyes were trained on him. Half of the class was already back at their seats preparing and of the others that were left he and Neville had yet to pick up a single ingredient.

In frustration he looked at Neville and asked him to read the name of the potion ,"Felix Felicis,"

"I can see that but can you tell me what it does. What it looks like... anything is better than nothing. We must have another name for it."

Neville furrowed his brow, "Well, uh... It makes you lucky, so lucky that everything goes your way and you can do no wrong… Oh gold and shiny"

"Жидкая удача, of course!" That was all the explanation he needed, Harry smiled and handed Neville the book and pointed to the list, the ingredients were universal even if they went by different names. This was one potion that he could do, he could brew it in his sleep. This was the potion he had been assigned for his final practical that had to be done by memory, today was his lucky day. "Get everything on it."

Harry then pocketed the prism and hurried over to the wall where all of the cauldrons were kept. He looked around the room and saw the whole class had a taken size four copper cauldrons and reached for the same but paused. He tried to remember carefully how they had brewed it last year. Looking at the blond boy who sat at the table just in front of the them, he realized that they were all doing it wrong.

Sure it _could_ be done over a fire. It was faster but for the best results he needed to brew this cold. It would take longer but he knew no other way. Looking at Neville he recalled exactly how sincere the boy had sounded when he said that it was useless and he swallowed deep and left the last size 4 copper cauldron on the shelf instead he took a larger nickel size six from the next shelf over and hurried back to the desk.

Neville had carefully laid out all of the ingredients on the list, and for that Harry was grateful. He would not be able to ask Neville for ingredients if they called them different things.

Over the next ten minutes Harry rearranged everything so that it was in the order he needed them and then showed Neville how to prepare each of them. The boy was a very quick follow and when shown what to do could replicate the examples.

Once Neville was set, Harry took a deep breath and cautioned a glance to the front of the room. The Professor had begun to circulate making comments at various stations. He was currently berating two very large thug like boys with green crests on their robes, Slytherins. The man had at least another 15 tables to get through before he reached them.

He took one last deep breath and reached for the ice flame adjustment... which wasn't there

The lab wasn't equipped with an ice flame cooling apparatus.

"Is everything alright?" Neville looked at him with worry written clearly on his face.

Harry laughed cynically, "Everything is perfect!"

Looking at the clock he knew he had no more time to waste if he wanted to complete the potion. Truth be told he wasn't sure he it was even possible to cold brew Жидкая удача in this short of a class period.

He couldn't go back now. And even if he could he wouldn't know what he was doing...Not knowing what else to do, Harry swallowed deep and reached out and touched the Nickel cauldron and focused on his breathing slowing carefully sapping the metal of its warmth, stealing the thermal energy from around the potions top and then when he snapped his fingers a spark of blue ice flame burst to life and he quickly reached for the O2 adjustment to keep it alive.

Harry curled his fingers into his palm and could feel how icy they had become and he quickly tucked his hands under his arms to warm them. It was futile he knew it would do little to nothing while he was so excited. But at least it allowed him to hide how purple and blue his fingers looked.

"Are you alright?" Neville has paused in his doxie wing grinding and was looking at him with worry, "are we going to make it?

With a comforting smile Harry nodded and reached for the hinkypunk urine concentrate, "Of course! I could brew this in my sleep." He pulled out his stop watch and cast a silent ever-hover spell, then pulled out his size 19 oak spoon, he would brew this even if it killed him.

Over the next hour and a half Harry watched the time carefully and with Neville's help was able to precisely and accurately add every ingredient as needed. The worst thing about cold brewing and the reason it was only taught to advanced students, if it was taught at all, was that it required precision down to the decisecond. Something that heat brewing tended to forgive.

So when the professor - who had never made it to their table, having been caught up in throwing out three sets of students for their poor performance, and sending another two to the hospital wing after a rather impressive explosion that left a student without eyebrows and the other nursing a bad burn to his hand- was back at the front of the class asking for all samples to be brought forward. Harry was beyond happy to drop in the last long leaf pine needle and see it disintegrate on contact and the potion literally ping into the desired gold from the garish blue it had been since adding the first of the 27 pine needles in 7.3 second increments.

"Is it done?"

Harry nodded, "Da," and felt relieved when droplets of the potion began to jump from the surface like tiny happy fish, "and it's perfect."

The smile on Neville's face was contagious and Harry felt the corners of his mouth pull outward into a tired grin.

Harry allowed his partner to vial the concoction choosing to take a seat and relax for the last few minutes of class but the rest was short lived because just as Neville was putting the stopper in the crystal vial the dark haired professor swooped down upon them with a glare.

"Are you quite finished Mister…?"

Neville turned visibly pale and swallowed thickly, "um…"

"Your surname is UM?"

The class laughed and Harry frowned.

"No sir. It's Longbottom."

The man smirked, "Well, are you finished or not?"

Neville didn't say anything; he just looked over to Harry who stood up from his seat. Harry took full notice of the knot that had developed in the muscles of his lower back from hovering over his potion for the past hour and a half. "We are finished Professor. As you can clearly see." Harry took the vial from Neville who had taken a step behind the Drumstrang champion out of fear.

"Was I speaking to you Mr. Moldov?"

Harry shrugged, "The question pertained to me so I answered."

"Are you getting smart with me? Pretty cocky of you considering I'm seconds away from dismissing both of you. Did you even bother to read the instructions?"

Harry stood tall with his shoulders back; he wouldn't let this man intimidate him. "I don't need your instructions to brew this potion."

The class all began to whisper amongst themselves at the champion's ballsy statement.

"Really? Is that so?" The professor turned to the blond boy who had been sitting at the table just in front of Neville and Harry for the entirety of the class. "Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes Professor?"

"Would you be so kind as to read me the first thing I have written on the board?"

The boy nodded and complied, "Students should use a standard size 4 copper cauldron for brewing."

Thank you Mr. Malfoy. Now Mr. Moldov, would you like to explain to me why you decided to use a size 6 nickel?

"Because that is the cauldron required to brew this potion by way of techniques I am most familiar. In case you haven't noticed, English isn't my native language. I have great difficulty reading it when even the finest penmanship is used. To ask me to read and understand your handwriting…well it might as well be ancient untranslated Atlantian text."

"Is it acceptable at Durmstrang to back talk your professors?"

"No, but the professors at Durmstrang are more concerned with final results not the method by which those results are achieved. Neville and I have brewed a perfect potion. What does it matter if we did it over an ice flame and in a nickel cauldron?"

"You claim that you have brewed a perfect potion. Lofty claims for someone who didn't read the directions. Let us just see how perfect this potion is?"

Neville stepped back to allow the professor to take a look at the perfectly still glistening potion. Harry looked on with confidence in his technique. He wasn't given the award for highest achievement in cold brewing last year for no reason.

The professor looked on in anger as he tried several tests to see if he could find fault with the liquid luck but to no avail.

"Your claim appears to be true. You shall receive top marks Mr. Moldov and also lose Twenty Five points from Gryffindor."

A cry of outrage rang from the Gryffindor students at the removal of points.

"In future I suggest you use that courage that your house is best known for to keep your partner from bullying you in to not following simple written instructions, Mr. Longbottom. As for the rest of you, your marks will be posted on my office door tonight at 8. If you receive below an 80% then don't bother showing up next class. If you make and 85 or better and wish to continue I would like five foot essay on the medicinal properties of Nightlock on my desk at the beginning of next class period."

The class looked around in confusion for a moment. What about those in the limbo region…

"And if you fall in between…" He paused in his packing to look up in amusement, "I want twenty feet explaining the effects of harvest with in the lunar cycle. Class dismissed"

Harry was fuming when he got to dinner. _The nerve of that man._ He had never had such a terrible potions professor in his entire life. Harry had decided to sit with Neville for dinner and was beyond shocked to hear that while the man recognized the potion was perfect he only saw fit to give him the top Mark. Neville had been given an 83 and was forced to write the 20foot essay.

"It's not fair. He took points, and even that was completely uncalled for. What kind of teacher issues punishments for ideal work?"

Neville just pushed his potatoes around on his plate in frustration, "An Evil one. I don't know if I should even try. Professor Snape has obviously decided to hate me."

"I'm sure that isn't the case at all Neville," When a chipper, very plain looking red-headed girl tried to console him, Harry rolled his eyes. She wasn't even looking the poor despondent Neville. She was too busy batting her eyelashes at him from across the table.

"Are all Hogwarts girls this bad about eavesdropping? Why don't you mind your own business?"

The girl blushed when Harry barked at her and turned away quickly and made a scene of scooping herself a second helping of peas.

Harry had to agree with Neville it certainly did appear that Professor Snape had decided to dislike the Gryffindor boy. The man went so far as to even list Neville's grade next to the "name" UM!

TING, TING, TING, TING!

The student body fell silent as the Headmistress banged her knife on her goblet to gain attention. "Congratulations on the completion of your first day of classes I'm happy to report that only three students had to be sent to the infirmary and only two of the houses have negative points. I glad to see you all eagerly participating in the inter-house competition. Now there is one very special announcement that must be made before your dismissal this evening but I must first request that the school champions leave the hall and meet with your mentors in the trophy room."

Harry waved to Neville, promising to help him with the essay tomorrow night and then hurried after the other two students who had taken seats near the front of the room. Once in the trophy room the door was slammed behind him. He hurried over to where Viktor was smiling at him standing next to Headmaster Karkaroff.

"What is going on?"

Viktor laughed and pointed over to Rita Skeeter talking to her photographer and several other reporters then to a very tall handsome man who was surrounded by several secretaries who were all writing things down madly as the man spoke. "I give you one guess."

When dampened cheers could be heard through the door Harry frowned worry beginning enter his heart.

The Minister stepped forward and with a smiled addressed the three of the champions. "Well, no need to beat around the bush, I'm here to tell you that your first task is tomorrow and you will be taken to the isolation encampment now. See you all in the morning!"


End file.
